The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration that may be bestowed upon members of the British or Commonwealth armed forces for acts of valour or gallantry performed in the face of the enemy. Within the British honours system and those of many Commonwealth nations it is the highest award a soldier can receive for actions in combat. It was established in 1856 and since then has been awarded 1,356 times, including three service personnel who were awarded the VC twice.[1]
The VC was introduced on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. The traditional explanation of the source of the gunmetal from which the medals are struck is that it derives from Russian cannon captured at the siege of Sevastopol. Recent research has thrown doubt on this story, suggesting a variety of origins.[2] The original Royal Warrant did not contain a specific clause regarding posthumous awards, although official policy was to not award the VC posthumously. Between 1897 and 1901, several notices were issued in The London Gazette regarding soldiers who would have been awarded the VC had they survived. In a partial reversal of policy in 1902, six of the soldiers mentioned were granted the VC, but not "officially" awarded the medal. In 1907, the posthumous policy was completely reversed and medals were sent to the next of kin of the six officers and men.[3] The Victoria Cross warrant was not officially amended to explicitly allow posthumous awards until 1920 but one quarter of all awards for the First World War were posthumous.[4][5]
Due to its rarity, the VC is highly prized and the medal has fetched over £400,000 at auction.[6] A number of public and private collections are devoted to the Victoria Cross. The private collection of Lord Ashcroft, amassed since 1986, contains over one-tenth of all VCs awarded. Following a 2008 donation to the Imperial War Museum, the Ashcroft collection went on public display alongside the museum's Victoria and George Cross collection in November 2010.[7] Since 1990, three Commonwealth countries that retain the Queen as head of state have instituted their own versions of the VC. As a result, the original Victoria Cross is sometimes referred to as the "Commonwealth Victoria Cross" or the "Imperial Victoria Cross", to distinguish it from the newer awards.[8][9]
The first awards to cavalrymen were the nine awarded during the Crimean War, the first seven in the Charge of the Light Brigade 25 October 1854. The largest number for any one campaign was the twenty-nine awarded during the Indian Mutiny (also known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857), twelve of those to one regiment, the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers. All together ninety-two awards have been made to cavalrymen, the last on 23 September 1918 in the final days of World War I.
Cavalry recipients
editReferences
edit- ^ "Victoria Cross: The Premier Award for Gallantry". Ministry of Defence (UK). Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ Davies, Catronia (28 December 2005). "Author explodes myth of the gunmetal VC". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ "No. 27986". The London Gazette. 15 January 1907. p. 325.
- ^ Crook, MJ, Chapter 8 pp.68–90
- ^ "No. 31946". The London Gazette. 18 June 1920. p. 6702.
- ^ "The Victoria Cross ... awarded to Captain Alfred Shout have been sold at auction". Iain Stewart, Victoria Cross.org. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ "Press Release: The Lord Ashcroft Gallery, Extraordinary Heroes". Imperial War Museum. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ "Pro Valore: Canada's Victoria Cross" (PDF). National Defence; Government of Canada. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ "Victoria Cross for Australia" (PDF). Australian Government. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ "No. 27462". The London Gazette. 8 August 1902. p. 5085.
- ^ a b "No. 22680". The London Gazette. 11 November 1862. p. 5346.
- ^ "No. 22212". The London Gazette. 24 December 1858. p. 5519.
- ^ "No. 24760". The London Gazette. 9 September 1879. p. 5395.
- ^ a b c d "The First Investiture of the Victoria Cross". Victoria Cross. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "No. 22601". The London Gazette. 25 February 1862. p. 956.
- ^ a b c d "No. 22154". The London Gazette. 18 June 1858. p. 2960.
- ^ a b c "No. 27266". The London Gazette. 15 January 1901. p. 308.
- ^ "No. 22485". The London Gazette. 1 March 1861. p. 1007.
- ^ a b c d "No. 27023". The London Gazette. 15 November 1898. p. 6688.
- ^ "No. 30375". The London Gazette. 9 November 1917. p. 11639.
- ^ "No. 22347". The London Gazette. 20 January 1860. p. 178.
- ^ "George Clare". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "No. 27320". The London Gazette. 4 June 1901. p. 3769.
- ^ a b c "No. 27307". The London Gazette. 23 April 1901. p. 2775.
- ^ "No. 27366". The London Gazette. 18 October 1901. p. 6779.
- ^ "No. 27405". The London Gazette. 11 February 1902. p. 843.
- ^ a b "No. 25084". The London Gazette. 14 March 1882. p. 1130.
- ^ a b "No. 24769". The London Gazette. 10 October 1879. p. 5830.
- ^ a b c d e "No. 22212". The London Gazette. 24 December 1858. p. 5517.
- ^ "No. 27356". The London Gazette. 17 September 1901. p. 6101.
- ^ "No. 30215". The London Gazette. 31 July 1917. p. 7906.
- ^ "No. 27235". The London Gazette. 5 October 1900. p. 6126.
- ^ "No. 27362". The London Gazette. 4 October 1901. p. 6481.
- ^ "No. 22065". The London Gazette. 20 November 1857. p. 3920.
- ^ "Charge of Flowerdew's Squadron". Canadian War Museum. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "No. 22445". The London Gazette. 8 November 1860. p. 4126.
- ^ a b "No. 28976". The London Gazette. 13 November 1914. pp. 9373–9374.
- ^ a b c d "No. 22212". The London Gazette. 24 December 1858. p. 5512.
- ^ "No. 22318". The London Gazette. 21 October 1859. p. 3792.
- ^ "No. 22212". The London Gazette. 24 December 1858. p. 5516.
- ^ "No. 24768". The London Gazette. 7 October 1879. p. 5777.
- ^ a b "No. 22083". The London Gazette. 15 January 1858. p. 178.
- ^ "No. 22396". The London Gazette. 19 June 1860. p. 2316.
- ^ Gallagher, Brenden (12 July 2006). "Heroes in battle and on the field of play". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "The History of Rhodesian Honours and Awards". The Rhodesian Forces. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ a b c d "No. 22223". The London Gazette. 28 January 1859. p. 294.
- ^ "21st Lancers (Empress of India's)". National Army Museum. 18 June 2012. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ a b "No. 27283". The London Gazette. 12 February 1901. p. 1059.
- ^ a b "No. 30433". The London Gazette. 14 December 1917. p. 13222.
- ^ "No. 22043". The London Gazette. 25 September 1857. p. 3194.
- ^ "William Thomas Marshall VC". The Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Victoria Cross Committee. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "No. 27292". The London Gazette. 8 March 1901. p. 1649.
- ^ "No. 27208". The London Gazette. 6 July 1900. p. 4196.
- ^ "The Victoria Cross awarded to Lieutenant Arthur Moore". Victoria Cross. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ a b "No. 22149". The London Gazette. 4 June 1858. p. 2756.
- ^ "No. 26908". The London Gazette. 9 November 1897. p. 6143.
- ^ "No. 27212". The London Gazette. 20 July 1900. p. 4509.
- ^ "No. 29074". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 February 1916. p. 1700.
- ^ "No. 29312". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 October 1915. p. 9642.
- ^ "No. 27229". The London Gazette. 14 September 1900. p. 5688.
- ^ "No. 24145". The London Gazette. 27 October 1874. p. 5113.
- ^ "No. 31034". The London Gazette. 27 November 1918. p. 14040.
- ^ "SIXTH SUPPLEMENT TO The London Gazette Of TUESDAY, the 8th of JANUARY, 1918". The London Gazette (30471): 725. 11 January 1918.
- ^ "Jemadar Gobind Singh". National Army Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "No. 25027". The London Gazette. 18 October 1881. p. 5140.
- ^ "No. 29281". The London Gazette. 31 August 1915. p. 8699.
- ^ "No. 30982". The London Gazette. 29 October 1918. p. 12801.
- ^ "No. 22318". The London Gazette. 21 October 1859. p. 3793.
- ^ "No. 22419". The London Gazette. 4 September 1860. p. 3257.
- ^ "No. 22194". The London Gazette. 26 October 1858. p. 4575.
- Crook, M.J. (1975). The Evolution of the Victoria Cross. Midas Books. ISBN 0-85936-041-5.